


The Gravity in Our Galaxies

by angelsfallingdeancatch, hellosterek



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Erica, Alpha Derek, Alternate Universe - College/University, Biting, Bloodplay, Chance Meetings, Drinking, F/F, F/M, M/M, POV Derek Hale, POV Erica, Past Abuse, Post-Canon, Road Trips, Rough Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy, Wolf Derek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 15:52:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10130273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsfallingdeancatch/pseuds/angelsfallingdeancatch, https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellosterek/pseuds/hellosterek
Summary: Erica was sure she'd escaped all her problems when she ran to New York. She realizes she miscalculated when she bumps into her old alpha, Derek Hale. As they try and patch up lost parts of their relationship, a new threat hits Beacon Hills and they hit the road to help. Has Erica's past come back to haunt her?





	

**Author's Note:**

> RP fic! Thank you for reading.

Derek listened to the tell-tale jingle of the bell above the cafe door, fiddling with the edge of his book. Although his apartment was a lot quieter, he enjoyed the sounds of patrons moving about the cafe, the smells of the coffee wafting through the room, and the mutterings of people around him. He wasn’t one to make small talk with strangers, but it was somewhat comforting to be around other people -- people other than pack, people that didn’t know his past or his secrets.

Lifting his freshly brewed cup of coffee to his lips, he inhaled the savory smell and paused. He lowered his cup and sniffed again, glancing toward the door. He felt himself go still as he took in the familiar head of blonde hair. It was rare that someone he knew actually came into his favorite cafe -- whether it be because they knew better than to bother him or because it was a little secluded, he wasn’t sure. But this particular familiar face he hadn’t seen in awhile.

“Erica,” he muttered quietly, still watching her.

Erica chewed on her lipstick slathered lips and glanced at her nails. They were long, black, and glittered in the light of the coffee shop. She looked away, not wanting to think of claws, or full moons, or wolfsbane. Sighing, she fidgeted with her purse, which had slipped down her arm. The little hole in the wall was full of the smell of cookies and coffee grinds, but the smell didn’t overwhelm her. 

She had let that go.

Erica stepped up to the counter and ignored the feeling of eyes on her back. People liked to stare at her; they always had. It got tiring after high school, and drunk partying had left her dull to that kind of attention. 

Derek watched silently as she placed her order and considered approaching her. On one hand, he was curious to see what she was doing in town and how she’d been doing. On the other hand, he was proud of her. She had done what so many of them had imagined doing for so long -- she’d escaped Beacon Hills. She’d put it all behind her and did something with her life. Derek...he just couldn’t shake Beacon Hills no matter how hard he tried. He always ended up going back.

He sighed quietly and glanced back down at his book consideringly. He could either pretend he didn’t see her, hadn’t smelt her, and continue reading his book...or he could make conversation. He imagined what her reaction to that would be. She (and the rest of the pack) knew he wasn’t much of a conversationalist. Still, she was pack. And, even after all this time, that still meant a hell of a lot.

Pursing his lips, he set his book down and took a moment to survey his surroundings. There weren’t that many people in the cafe, which was part of what he liked about it. Regardless, he gathered his book and coffee off the table and plucked up the courage to approach his former beta.

He cleared his throat, unsure. “Erica?”

Erica stopped mid thank you to the barista and stared, unblinking, ahead of her. Her shoulders rose, closed into her like wings and she tensed, surprised. Derek? After all this time, Derek, in this coffee shop?

She slowly spun on her heel and turned her wide eyed gaze to her old alpha. He looked...good. Better than she could have ever imagined or expected. 

She liked to pretend in the dark of her bedroom that she never thought about before, about the bite, about Derek. 

Erica’s heart sped up, which she knew Derek would notice. Embarrassed, she dropped her eyes and pulled her ponytail tighter. 

“Derek!” she said, much too bright. She was fine, she told herself, this was fine. This was just a talk, and then she could go back to her little apartment, alone, and not have nightmares.

Or, at least, try to forget them.

Derek noticed her tense, noticed the way her eyes widened, as if waiting for an attack. He frowned, hearing the frenzied beat of her heart and the nervous way she pulled at her hair. Her tone was off, as if she was trying to psych herself up for a conversation with him. The thought made his frown deepen. There’d been a time when he thought he could keep her safe -- that he could keep them all safe. He’d been wrong about that.

He’d been wrong about a lot of things.

He cleared his throat again, trying to keep himself from tensing. He knew his nerves would do nothing to calm hers, so he breathed evenly through his nose. He observed her. She looked better than she had before she’d left Beacon Hills. There was still fear in her eyes though, still an apprehension about the world and what she might face next. He could see it in the way she held herself. It was obvious she hadn’t seen him or heard him coming, meaning she’d distanced herself from her wolf. He tried not to be disappointed about that. He couldn’t really say he blamed her. If Derek had known any other life, maybe he would have tried to do the same.

He realized he should say something, but didn’t quite know what there was to say. What should he say? He couldn’t start a conversation with an apology or a confession of his guilt. Not after all these years.

“How have you been?” Stupid question. Obvious answer. He tried not to cringe.

Erica winced but tried to recover her facade. This is why she couldn’t talk to people, she reasoned. Even normal questions were too painful. She thought of where she had just come, what happened before she ran the last time. 

And why she ran this time.

“Good,” she said, chipper and polite. Her hair tie was too tight and the pain spread down her neck. She rubbed it absentmindedly, still not really looking at Derek. She was stupid to come to this town, but how could she have known he’d be here?

“I...just moved here,” she offered, finally catching his gaze. She felt the same pull to him, though it was muted by her refusal to pay attention to the wild inside her. 

It was better that way. Less pain. 

“What about you, you, uh, come here often,” she said, failing to hit the flirty edge she was aiming for. 

Derek sensed her pain, but wasn’t sure if it was physical or emotional. He figured it was both. He was glad when she finally met his gaze, but noticed it was still apprehensive.

Still, he smirked at her attempt at flirting. Still the same Erica then, just...a little more hidden. “Sometimes.” He glanced around, noticing the place starting to get a bit busier. He frowned. This was usually his cue to leave. “Not usually when it’s this busy though.”

He pursed his lips, returning his attention to her. “How long ago did you move here?”

She wrapped her arms about her stomach when she realized how loud it was becoming. She almost didn’t hear him ask his question.

She could lie. Erica picked at her sweater, something big that hid her figure a bit more than she would have liked when she was younger. 

“Thursday,” she told him, betting on the truth for the first time in the while. After all, her biggest secret wasn’t a secret to Derek. She gently nudged herself closer to the door, fighting off a headache that was turning into a migraine.

She thought of the bus ride to this new town, how she had curled up in a seat that would have smelled like piss and sweat if she had bothered to really think about it. Erica had stared out the window and watched the landscape blur. 

Erica sometimes wished her past would becoming that hard to focus on. 

The way to the door opened and she felt the urge to sprint through it, to just run from this altogether. 

But Derek could catch her. Wasn’t that just perfect.

Derek raised his eyebrows at her answer. So, she hadn’t been in town long at all then. The information was interesting and he wasn’t sure what to do with it yet. He huffed at the noise in the cafe, catching onto Erica’s increasing irritation. He could tell she had been denying that part of herself for a while. Derek could usually withstand the noise, but the more he tried to suppress it, the worse it became.

He noticed her inch toward the door, as if itching to get away -- from the noise, from the crowd, maybe even from him. He still had questions he wanted to ask and still felt the same urge to protect her that he’d always felt. She was, after all, his responsibility. It was his fault she was in this mess. It was his fault she was stuck with powers she didn’t want to possess. It was his fault if she felt as lost as he felt sometimes.

“How far away do you live?”

Erica pushed through the door, but held it open for Derek to follow her. She wasn’t that rude. The rain pattered against her head and she cursed herself for not bringing a jacket. She pursed her lips at the thought of her frizzy hair and sighed. 

She said, “like three blocks,” without really thinking it through. Why did he want to know? Oh, no, her apartment couldn’t be seen, not in the state of complete chaos it was in. 

But she couldn’t rebuff him without being an asshole, and that angry self-serving fire was put out a long time ago. 

“Wanna get out of this rain?” she asked brightly, sunny in a way she’d remembered Allison or Scott being. She could wish, right?

Derek walked beside her in the rain, glancing up toward the dark stormclouds. It didn’t look like it was going to stop anytime soon and he lived a little further than Erica. Not that he was going to deny her offer either way, but the rain made a nice excuse. 

He smiled softly at her sunny disposition, however forced it might be. He really had missed her. He always knew that, if any of them could start a new life, it’d be her.

“If you don’t mind?” he questioned apprehensively, not wanting to intrude, but also hoping she wouldn’t retract her offer.

Of course she minded. She didn’t even have boxes strewn about, just a mattress and some books. 

She let her hair fall to cover her face with a sheet of blonde and nodded, walking towards her apartment. It was her first place by herself, her newest fresh start. 

So far it was adding up to be a lot of surprises. 

“So…” she said, clutching her purse to her side, “how is Isaac?”

Derek cleared his throat, hugging his book a little tighter to him to shield it from the rain. He shrugged. “He’s...good? He left Beacon Hills with Chris Argent a while ago.” Derek frowned, wondering what he’d been up to lately. “I haven’t heard much from him.”

He hadn’t heard much from the pack, really, except for the occasional sarcastic text from Stiles and the occasional phone call from Scott. Scott was the better alpha, he’d always had the potential to be a good leader. It wasn’t a surprise the others had warmed to him so much quicker than they’d warmed to Derek. Derek was...not meant to be an alpha. That role had been his mom’s. His sister’s. It never should have been his.

So Isaac got out. She smiled to herself and felt a little weight drift off her shoulders. “With Argent?” she questioned, quickening their pace as the rain began thicken. That was a thought. She was never a big fan of Allison, but when she thought about her she smiled, too. 

It made her worry that Derek hadn’t talked to him, however. Isaac had really clung to Derek, perhaps more than her or Boyd had. She had obviously missed so much and she wondered if maybe she should have stayed. She could have been happy, she could have…  
She could have been dead. She had to remember that, reiterate it over and over until she stopped reminiscing about her time in Beacon Hills. It was far in her past and Erica had out run it. Though Derek counteracted that. 

She walked up to the grey, desolate building and climbed the stairs up to the sixth floor. Sometimes, when she felt the itch of the moon, she would make her way out her window and sit on the roof. But that was rarer and rarer as she continued to suffocate that part of her. 

But she was still surviving. 

He smiled a little at her befuddlement about Argent. He still didn’t quite understand how everything in Beacon Hills had turned around. All of them had had their fair share of turning on one another, but eventually ended up with the same goals and fighting on the same side. He shook his head. “A lot’s happened since you left.”

A lot was probably still happening. He was a little relieved not to have to keep up with it all.

He followed her into the building and up the stairs, noticing the musty smell to the walls and the way some of the stairs creaked. Of course, none of it bothered him. He’d stayed in worse. His old, shell of a house in Beacon Hills included.

When he followed her into her apartment, he noticed the books and the mattress. She didn’t seem to have much, but it was enough. He frowned a little despite his efforts not to. He knew what it was like to lay low and to survive off as little as possible.

He knew commenting on her place would only sound condescending, so he chose not to, instead turning his full attention to her.

“Yeah, this is...home,” she muttered, pushing past him and ignoring the brush of their arms, to the tiny kitchen which was more of a small fridge and a microwave. 

Sleeping outside was worse. 

She opened the fridge, which was mostly full of wine and whiskey instead of food. She grabbed the whiskey and tried to stop herself from chugging it. 

“You want anything?” she asked, without realizing that she didn’t have anything to offer. After a beat she stopped and growled at her own stupidity. 

“Of this, I mean,” she amended, undoing her ponytail and letting her curls flow down her back. The one thing she’d tried to keep the same after leaving. The gold flashed in the fluorescent lights and she dropped onto her mattress. Erica wanted to tell him to take a seat, but she only patted the space next to her. 

She let out a breath and held onto the bottle tightly, trying not to shake. She wanted to get drunk, if only to make this whole night easier. Because running from Beacon Hills just got a lot more difficult. Would she have to move again? She doubted she had enough money to do that. She looked over at Derek and tried to smile. 

Derek took a seat next to her, a little apprehensive. He wasn’t sure which boundaries he was crossing or where the boundaries were even drawn between them. They’d been away from each other for so long, he didn’t really even know who she was anymore. He knew her, but only as she existed in Beacon Hills. The Erica sitting next to him...she was different. Life had changed her. He wasn’t quite sure how, but he noticed the differences, however subtle. Like the way she clung to the whisky bottle like it would somehow save her, despite the fact alcohol had little to no effect on them.

She was still clinging to her humanity. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, their humanity kept them grounded...but clinging to it so tightly to suppress their wolves? It was dangerous. It could drive any wolf crazy. It did drive omegas crazy.

Breathing in slowly, he set his book down on the floor and tentatively reached a hand out to her, placing it gently on her arm, ready to retract it if needed, but looking to comfort her. “It’s good to see you.”

Erica drank from the bottle, a little too long, and leaned against him softly. Be like a feather, a bird, she told herself. Don’t get attached. But she could already feel the connection, however stilted. 

Being more human than not made her more susceptible to alcohol, but it felt like it didn’t work as fast as it would with other people, and it didn’t last as long. 

She’d have to down the whole bottle, she thought and laughed a little. Maybe she’d have fun, even. It had been a while since she’d had fun. 

“Good to see you, too,” she said, allowing the touch, trying not to be icy. She could keep the nightmares at bay while she was awake. Usually. “You don’t want any?” she asked, offering the bottle to him. 

Derek eyed the bottle for a moment, tilting his head. He’d only ever tried alcohol a handful of times, mainly as a teenager to see if it actually would work on him. Back then, the most it did was make him feel a little lighter. Now, all it did was leave a bitter taste in his mouth whenever he had beers with Braeden. Had. That was the key word.

He shook his head, politely declining. He was more wolf than human these days. For a short time there, when he’d lost his powers, he’d been able to drink and actually feel it. It was nice for a while. It was like a break. But he wouldn’t trade his wolf for it, especially now that he’d evolved. He was stronger than before. “Can’t feel it.”

He observed her again, noticing her loosen up a bit, and felt himself smile.

“Shame,” she teased, but mostly meant it. She took three hard drinks and set the bottle down and shook her hair out. 

Erica never thought she’d ever see Derek again. It was...more pleasant than she would have thought. 

“Missed you,” she whispered, not really noticing that she said it. She was paying attention to her nails, running them down her arm that Derek wasn’t touching. It was an interesting sensation compared to the warmth of Derek’s hand, and she started to lean into it. 

“I went to college,” she said, hoping that if she gave little pieces of her life, he’s be satisfied and she wouldn’t have a break down. 

Derek heard her whispered remark and ducked his head, smile widening a fraction. When she’d left, it had taken everything in him not to follow her, to not track her down and bring her back. When she left, it was like a piece of him had walked away. Laura had once told him that when a pack member dies, it’s like a part of you dies with them, but having one walk away...Derek didn’t know which pain was worse. He’d had to fight his instincts a lot over the years. And now...having her back, having her sitting next to him, it was like that piece was slowly fitting itself back.

He glanced back at her at the new information. “You did?”

Back when she’d been in Beacon Hills, he’d barely been able to imagine any of them even graduating, let alone going to college. The fact that she’d gone made him feel better about letting her go. She’d deserved a better life than what Beacon Hills (and Derek) could provide. It was nice to know she got that. “That’s great.” 

“Yeah...great,” she agreed, but she frowned and curled in on herself. She didn’t like thinking of that time, at least if it went into sophomore year. It had been amazing, making new friends, the parties, learning all those amazing things. But she’d needed stability, a pack. 

She shuddered and pushed the thoughts aside. Those thoughts lead to more and more things and people that she didn’t want on her mind. 

“What about you,” she asked, changing the subject with less finesse than she’d admit, “what did you do?”

Derek noticed her demeanor change, his smile falling before he could manage to catch it. When she quickly changed the subject, he furrowed his eyebrows. Removing his hand from her arm, he scooted a little closer and settled next to her, letting their shoulders gently touch. He stared across the room and thought about his answer. What had he been up to? Would it really be any surprise to her that he had dated the Darach? He wondered what Erica’s reaction would be to Jennifer’s ties to the alpha pack.

He clasped his hands together and sighed. “I…” He stopped himself, rethinking his answer. “Learned how to shoot a gun?”

He frowned, not sure how that was the thing that chose to slip out, but it was better than explaining Jennifer Blake and Kate and turning back into a teenager and...well, everything else that had happened.

She snorted and laid her head against his arm roughly, the alcohol starting to take effect. “You? No way,” she chided, pushing her hair out of the way so her face could touch his arm. After a beat she sighed and huffed. She was being a hypocrite. 

“Me too, actually,” she revealed, nodding to the lone pillow on her other side. It was better than being a wolf, she figured. At least, easier. 

Derek felt solid against her head and she wondered at what stability would feel like. To have two feet on the ground instead of always taking off in random directions. 

Or maybe not so random. 

“Derek,” she asked, turning her big brown eyes on him, “do you believe in fate?”

Derek blinked at the question, glancing down at her imploring, brown eyes. That was a complicated question. Actually, not such a complicated question, just a question with a complicated answer. After everything that had happened in Derek’s life...after the fire, Laura, Peter, Scott, the rest of the Beacon Hills mess....he wasn’t sure he could say he believed in fate. If he did, he’d be admitting that those things were somehow meant to happen. And he didn’t believe that. They shouldn’t have happened.

But, on the other hand… “I’ve never really thought about it.” He frowned, glancing away. 

Scott was a good alpha, almost too good. It was like he was, in a way, destined to be the leader that he’d become. And Derek...well, maybe Derek really wasn’t meant to be an alpha, but more of a mentor. Maybe...there were a whole lot of maybes he didn’t want to explore. He’d done a lot of self-loathing over the years and he didn’t want to think that way anymore. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be alpha or have a big pack or watch his sister one day get married and have a family of her own. But maybe he was meant for other things.

He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He swallowed and looked at her. “Do you?”

Erica kept her eyes on him and almost called him out on his lie, but kept her mouth shut and let him think. I don’t know was probably the most truthful answer he could have given and felt rather proud of him for it. 

She thought of all she’d been through and mumbled, “I should hope not,” before turning her eyes away and looking at her hands. She didn’t know if she wanted Derek to know any of the things she’d gone through, but the whiskey was loosening her tongue. 

She was afraid. 

He nodded in understanding. They’d all been through a lot, but he knew he only knew about half of what she’d been through. He had no idea what had happened after she left Beacon Hills. He had no idea what kind of effect the alpha-beta bond had on her as she distanced herself. He had no idea how she chose to survive on her own without the pack over the years.

Derek felt the weight of her silence and hesitantly touched his hand against hers. “You know you can talk to me, right? I won’t judge you for anything that you’ve done.”

Erica scoffed but then became pensieve. She hadn’t told anyone, ever, and to have someone who understood...it was tempting.

“Tried to join a pack, once...twice, I guess,” she finally said, sweeping a piece of hair behind her ear. Even saying those words brought bile up her throat and she fought off the nausea. 

“You know how vulnerable omegas can be...or whatever a beta is when they don’t have a lot of places to go,” she continued, picking up the bottle again and drinking. 

The hard part was explaining what happened...she was so uncertain.

The thought of Erica in another pack made his chest ache in a way he hadn’t felt since she left. The underlying insinuation that there was more to the story, though, was what had Derek feeling on edge.

He gently squeezed her hand, silently urging her to go on if she wanted. He wouldn’t judge her if she did, but he also wouldn’t judge her if she didn’t.

Erica clenched his hand, feeling the strength she hadn’t used in a long time start to surface. “They...wanted me to marry in, right? Which is fine, I could have just cut and run if I had to.” She shifted on her bed, laid back a bit, further embedding herself against Derek. Having him there made thinking about all of it easier. But not painless.

“There was this boy...David. We hit it off, and I figured that would be that. But the alpha...she was pissed.” She saw the red of her eyes, the teeth, the blood. She grew quiet before forcing herself forward. “David didn’t make it.”

Derek felt his jaw clench and fought to keep his hand relaxed in hers. He understood them wanting her to marry in, most packs wouldn’t just accept a wolf without some sort of tie, but to hear that the alpha wasn’t so accepting…

“Did they hurt you?” Derek managed, not meaning to sound as angry as he was.

Erica shrugged as if anything happening to her wasn’t important. “I was too fast,” she whispered, noting Derek’s tone of voice and feeling surrounded by it. It was like a safety net. 

“I had to transfer, though,” she said, as if this was the worse possibly thing. Since she had started, she might as well finish, she figured. 

“You ever meet anyone you thought loved you but they didn’t?” she asked meekly, turning towards him a little bit and moving an arm around him and flopping further down the mattress. 

Derek was proud to hear she was too fast for them. If nothing else, at least he’d taught her that much. He snorted at her question. Had he ever met anyone he thought loved him, but they didn’t? Where did Derek begin?

“Once or twice,” he grunted, sinking down onto the mattress and scooting closer to her. It was nice, being here with Erica after being away from her for so long. It was comforting, almost like she’d never left. Almost.

He glanced at her. “You too?”

Erica rested against his chest and belatedly realized that she was cuddling him. She hadn't even thought of doing it, it was so natural.

Simple in a way she had forgotten.

The question burned her throat and she pushed closer to him. “Yeah, after I transferred.” Erica thought of leaving it there, but if Derek was going to be around, then he'd figure it out eventually. And she wasn't sure she could run again, not so soon after settling in.

“I didn't want to deal with another pack so I just...stopped with the whole werewolf thing,” she admitted, feeling guilt in her stomach. It was a gift that she'd thrown away, but it had stopped being advantageous for her. He could understand survival as well as she could.

“Senior year I met this guy,” she inhaled, hating the way even thinking his name made her afraid, “and it didn't go well.” 

She shrugged faintly and reached for the bottle again. “And now I'm here.”

Derek’s frown deepened at her admission. The thought of another pack hurting her was bad enough, but knowing that she’d gone through all of this and all of her struggles on her own made it worse. Derek knew what it felt like to feel alone, as if no one was on his side and like everything he’d ever known had been taken from him. It wasn’t the same as what Erica had been through, but the feelings were as similar as Derek could fathom.

He wanted to know if the guy she’d met had hurt her, but the answer seemed obvious and he didn’t want to pry into the specifics. The last thing she needed was to relive what she’d been through. Reliving things just made them hurt worse and Derek knew that all too well.

He watched as she fiddled with the bottle and tilted his head, thinking. He didn’t want her to think she was unwelcome, but he was curious. “Why here?”

She licked at the top of the bottle and took a swig before cradling it, whiskey sloshing up the sides.

Why had she picked here? She could have gone further, the ticket was for another state. Yet when the ancient bus stopped here, she'd gotten her things and walked. 

The mattress was already in the room, left behind by the last tenant. All she had was a duffle bag of belongings. 

She's always wanted to be a traveler, but she never imagined herself being alone while doing it.

“I'm not sure,” she said, glancing up at him, “I just...did.”

Derek observed her for a moment, taking his time to contemplate that. He knew it couldn’t be a coincidence that she’d ended up in the same town -- and possibly even the same cafe -- as him. It was too random. Although he doubted she still considered herself part of the pack, he was sure the small part of her wolf that she couldn’t quite suppress was leading her in directions without her noticing. The wolf always knew its way home, regardless of where that home may be.

He nodded slowly and averted his attention across the room. “Something happened before I left Beacon Hills.” He clasped his hands together and weighed his words. “I’m not the wolf I was before.”

She felt the deepening of her drunkenness, but fought it to stay focused. 

“I can tell, or at least, I guessed,” she said, watching his face. Erica was used to that, trying to read Derek. He was more open now, more gentle.

“What was it?” she asked, hoping she wasn't pushing but wanting to know badly. 

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips and he glanced sideways at her, a little proud of what he’d done. “I evolved.”

He knew it sounded odd. It was something none of them had ever discussed before and something he’d only vaguely heard about from his mom. It was the reason his mom could turn into a full wolf and to know that he’d taken after her made him feel closer to her somehow. Like she was always with him. “I can turn into a full wolf.”

She snorted, thinking he was joking. Then she thought better of it. Derek, joking? Erica put down the bottle and sucked in a breath. She had researched what she could between homework assignments about werewolves, but none of it had really seemed to hold true. 

Derek had become stronger, and what had she done? She frowned but quickly hid it. Now was not the time for self pity, this was Derek. And Derek had grown. 

Erica grinned at him, the first big smile in days, and the strain of it felt uncomfortable. She pushed through it. “That’s so cool,” she enthused, trying to roll over to look at him and succeeding only in bumping into him. 

Derek’s grin widened and he shook his head in slight amusement at her bumping into him. He knew there was still a lot of history behind them -- both combined and apart from one another -- but he didn’t feel the weight of it all at the moment. He felt comfortable, like he was safe and home. Like nothing could touch them. And maybe they couldn’t. At the moment, they were together and there was no danger lurking on their doorstep. They were so far away from Beacon Hills and every horror that the town offered. Part of him would always expect a phone call from Scott or a frantic text from another member of the pack, asking for guidance and help, but...his phone had been oddly silent for days. Here with Erica, it felt like a break.

Without much thought, his hand drifted town to her arm, his finger tracing patterns. She was pack. His pack. Having one of them close was keeping his heartbeat steady and he was highly aware that his pulse matched hers. “How long were you planning on staying in town for?”

Erica watched his finger moving across her skin and knew that he knew she was distracted. How could he not sense it, her uptick in breathing, her heartbeat speeding up. She hadn’t been touched, at all, by anyone since she left college. 

She hadn’t seen her pack in years. 

My pack, she thought, and blinked up at him when she registered that he’d spoken. “What?” she murmured, still watching his finger, “I’m not leaving.”

Derek nodded, glad to hear it. He’d needed the reassurance that she wasn’t going anywhere. He knew leaving and running far too well, understood the urge to keep going to try to outrun the past. He’d tried it for too long and it’d done nothing to help him. Pack was the only thing that could heal. As long as he had pack, he was okay.

He frowned, remembering one of the reasons he’d turned Erica, Isaac, and Boyd in the first place. He shook his head and pushed the thoughts aside. He couldn’t change the past, couldn’t change the mistakes he’d made when he was lonely or when he was confused. The only thing he could control was what he did now.

He listened to her unsteady breath and her racing heartbeat and smirked. It reminded him of all those years ago, when she’d had the same reaction around him. Back then, he found it slightly annoying, but only because he felt the need to be careful. She was a new beta, he was an alpha, and his past experience with Kate had still been haunting him. He wasn’t entirely sure he’d ever actually be rid of his experience with Kate, but at least it wasn’t suffocating anymore.

Running his finger up her arm, he pushed some hair off her shoulder. “Good.”

She beamed at him, before giggling at the touch and then berating herself for laughing. She hadn’t even flirted since she ran away from college, and she was obviously bad at it. A younger self would be so disappointed. 

She’d disappointed her a lot, that little teenager. 

Erica inhaled and sighed when she couldn’t smell him, having not used that extra sense in so long. It was the first time in a while she’d tried. 

A younger version of her would have jumped him, she mused, would have kissed him like she had before. And Derek would probably push her away, again. 

She bit her lip, not used to being so cautious and unsure. She felt like a child trying to walk in her mother’s high heels, unsteady and sure to fall. 

“Derek?” she questioned as he moved her hair, finding the courage to look up at him again. 

He smiled at her, her shyness reminding him more of the high schooler he’d first met. The one that struggled around her peers, the one who just wanted to be confident and comfortable within herself. He knew something must have happened to ruin that confidence, something more than what happened at Beacon Hills. She’d downplayed a lot of what she’d been through since she left. He knew it bore a heavier weight than she was letting on. Part of him wished he’d been there to protect her from it all.

He breathed evenly through his nose, letting her familiar scent fill his senses and settle in his chest, comforting and welcoming despite the apparent nerves tingled with excitement. His eyes drifted from her familiar blonde locks to her ruby red lips, up to her light brown eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Erica almost blurted out a strong ‘why’ but held it in. There was something momentous happening, a string pulling her in closer to Derek and she didn’t want to ruin it. 

Instead she said, “me too,” breathlessly and started becoming a little lost in his eyes. She had always known he was beautiful, but up close like this…

It was, frankly, ridiculous. 

“Wanna know something?” she asked conspiratorially, trying to push down her grin. 

Derek couldn’t fight off his smile, even if he tried. Even though he saw remnants of the girl she used to be before she’d known him, he could still see the wolf in her too. And, maybe more importantly, his wolf recognized hers, yearned to be closer to hers.

“What?” he questioned quietly, hand moving to play with the hair beside her face, fingers gently brushing her cheek.

Her chest constricted and she breathed in deeply. Nervous or not, now she had to say it. Derek would know if she was lying. 

“I used to dream about you after I left,” she whispered, praying the heat she felt on her cheeks wasn’t showing up on her skin. Heart skipping, she added, “I still do.”

Derek listened to the steadiness of her heart and raised his eyebrows, curiosity piqued. If he was honest, he’d had a few dreams of his own, but he wasn’t sure what exactly Erica meant by that.

“Oh?” he questioned. “What are they about?”

Now Erica knew her face was as red as her lipstick but stubbornly kept her eyes on his. He was playing dumb, of course he was. How mortifying. 

She jutted her chin out and said, “having sex.” It didn’t sound like the squeak she was afraid would slip out and she felt momentarily proud of herself before getting more embarrassed. 

Derek wanted to laugh at her bluntness, but suppressed his laughter, ducking his head for a moment to compose himself. He didn’t know why he was so surprised. This was Erica, after all. She’d said much worse before and never really was one for beating around the bush.

Instead of laughing, he smirked and leaned in to brush his lips against her cheek. “That makes two of us then.”

She was rooted to the spot with the kiss and she felt the warmth spread down her spine. Why was it Derek that made her feel like this was her first time doing anything all over again? It was new, and intense, and…

And she definitely needed to respond to that. 

Slowly she turned her head and let their lips rest inches apart. “Yeah?” she said, more excited than she’d intended. 

Derek nodded, closing the distance between them and cupping her face in his hands. He remembered the last time they’d kissed, she’d been the one to initiate it and he’d been the one to end it. He vaguely wondered if it’d be the other way around this time. He wouldn’t put it past her as some sort of revenge. But...then again, how long had they both been waiting to do this again? For real, this time?

Her scent filled his nostrils, her thundering heartbeat echoing in his ears, and his wolf pulled him toward her, yearning to be closer.

Erica made a needy sound and touched her nose to his before resting her forehead against his. She’d kissed so many people, why did it feel like she was stepping into something huge? 

“I…” she tried, before losing her voice. Her eyes dilated and she felt captured by the moment, by his touch. By her own want.

“Need, I mean, I would like,” she rambled, before letting her lips move against his briefly. It was like getting hit by a train and thrown off a cliff’s edge. 

“What?” she wondered, leaning in again. 

He smirked into the kiss, burying his fingers into her hair and pulling her closer. He felt the pull in his chest, a soft rumble that threatened to turn into a growl. He stifled it. “I’ve dreamed about you too.”

“Yeah,” she hummed, placing a hand on his shoulder, “what did we do?” It was a challenge, at least, a tiny one. She hadn’t pushed anyone in months, out of fear. But this was Derek, this was pack, this was home.   
“Cause I bet mine were better,” she said, trying not to let her laughter seep out. 

The growl Derek had been holding back slipped and he pulled gently on her hair, lifting an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”

His hand slipped down to the small of her back, hand curling around the fabric of her shirt. He felt when his eyes began to bleed red and closed them. He hadn’t given into his wolf like this in a while, hadn’t allowed himself the luxury of acting solely on instinct. He gritted his teeth against the urge to let go and took a deep breath, managing to keep his voice steady, “In mine, you’re always left begging for more.”

Maybe it was the alcohol, though she doubted that it was still in her system, or maybe it was some of her old self peeking out from her hiding place, but she felt emboldened. 

“Really?” she taunted, parting her legs to make room for him, “you sure it wasn’t you who begged?”

He growled and slotted himself between her legs, pushing her down against the mattress and smirking down at her. He shrugged. “Pretty sure it was you.”

He nudged her shirt up and ran a hand over her stomach, lightly scratching her skin with blunt nails before moving his hand up. He leaned down over her and sponged kisses along her neck.

Erica wanted to fight, really she did, but begging sounded kind of nice. Her stubbornness kept her mouth closed though, exhaling a moan through her nose and wrapping her arms around Derek’s neck. She toed at her flats and kicked them away from her and Derek, keeping her gaze on Derek’s face. 

“We’ll see, I guess,” she said, mockingly, but her eyes gave her away. 

Derek listened to her heart stumble in her chest as he continued to kiss a line down her neck, toward her collarbones. He let his teeth tease her skin, revelling at the taste and smell of her. He felt his claws threaten to break free and removed his hands from her, placing them on the mattress instead, continuing to trail kisses downwards, over her clothes until he reached her bare stomach.

“I guess we will,” he stated simply, sucking skin between his teeth and biting down gently.

It had been too long since she’d had sex, she decided, because she was going to lose and how unfair was that?

His mouth made her jump against his lips and she pressed her hands into his hair. It was softer than she remembered but that thought was ripped from her as he bit down.   
“Der, how are you…” she wanted to say, good at this? But she didn’t want to concede yet. That would be too soon, she could hold back longer. 

What she was having trouble dealing with was the tingling in her eyes, uncomfortable and strange. Was that...her beta eyes?

Derek smirked, biting a little harder before lapping his tongue against the bite. His blood-red eyes flicked up to watch her, noticing the faint gold starting to make an appearance in hers. The realization made his chest rumble, excited to have his beta back with him. 

“How am I?” he questioned, shit-eating grin peeking through as he regained control of his claws and ran his hands back up her stomach, moving her shirt up and out of the way. “I think the better question is, how are you doing?”

Erica tore her shirt off and threw it behind her mattress, belatedly realizing that she’d probably forget where it was. 

She couldn’t be bothered to get it now, not with Derek towering over her. 

“Fine,” she managed to strangle out, hands tightening in his hair. Her bain was starting to become fogged, her only focus on Derek, though she was seeing him more sharply through gold eyes. 

Derek grit his teeth, unable to stop himself from moving his head toward her touch. He reached around to unhook her bra, helping her out of it before pulling back and removing his shirt, adding it to the growing collection on the floor. He returned to kissing trails along her skin, between her breasts and toward her stomach, kissing along the edge of her jeans. He popped the button on her jeans open, but didn’t make a move to remove them from her. Instead, he moved back up toward her and buried his hands in her hair, pulling her into a kiss that was less gentle and more frantic.

There wasn’t much doubt that they both wanted this -- that their wolves wanted this -- but he never said it’d be easy. He did say she’d begged for it in his dreams, after all.

Erica felt something in her chest shift with the kiss, the need, the heat in his eyes. She wasn’t going to beg, she decided, grin spreading across her face. In a swift motion she pushed him back with strength she wasn’t used to and tilted her head to look at him before crawling over him in turn. 

“You still okay?” she asked, fake concerned, pouting and big eyed. 

He growled, claws poking from his fingers as he stared up at her. He took the moment to let his eyes run over her, admiring the view despite having the tables turned on him. His wolf wasn’t particularly happy, but Derek didn’t mind.

Breathing in deeply, he let his senses fill with the scent of the two of them together, both aroused and excited. He smirked, tilting his head to the side. “You expecting me to beg?”

She licked her lips, eyes widening and laughter bubbled up through her mouth. She straddled Derek, leaning over him, her breasts dragging against his chest. “I mean, I can wish,” she admitted, gently pushing some hair out of his eyes before kissing his lips slowly. 

Derek kissed her back, burying his hands in her hair once again and taking a moment to think about that. It’d be so easy to turn this back around, to turn them back over and remove the last of their clothes, fuck her into the mattress until she was begging. As enticing as that sounded, Derek didn’t mind the idea of her taking charge either.

Kissing his way toward her ear, he nipped at her earlobe and whispered, “Make me beg.”

Always full of surprises, wasn’t he, she mused as she rolled her hips against his jeans. “I don’t know if I mentioned,” she said nonchalantly, running a hands up his chest, nail clawing him slightly, “that I learned some things in college.” She kissed his forehead, because this honestly wasn’t like college, and reluctantly pushed herself off of him and grinned over her shoulder.

If it was begging he’d want, it was begging he’d get. 

Derek pushed himself up onto his elbows, eyes glued to her as she began to slip out of her jeans. He curled his hands into the bedsheets, itching to touch her, but not willing to give in so easily. Licking his lips, he adjusted himself in his jeans, but didn’t do more than that as he laid and watched.

Erica kept her back to him, closing her eyes and taking in a breath. Slowly she swiveled her hips to one side, then the other, before raising her arms about her head and running one hand down her side before looking over her shoulder, hips quickening. 

She turned as she moved, flowing on her feet easily, like she had done years ago during the same time she had been trying to join that pack. She threw her head back, hair floating in the air before spreading out against her back like wings. She covered her breasts teasingly and began to saunter over to him. 

Derek noticed as the Erica he’d once known began to ease back, the same flirtatious smile curling at her lips that had been thrown his way so many times before. His hands twitched at his sides and he sat up, unable to stop himself from reaching toward her, hands settling on her waist. “You’re gorgeous.”

Erica almost tripped at his words, getting caught against his chest. Being in his arms again made her feel exhilarated and it was hard to slow her pulse. With a serious face and peeked up at him and said, “you’re beautiful.” 

Derek smiled and tried not to snort at her remark, not picking up on a joking tone or a stumbling heart that suggested a lie. He guided her back, getting to his feet and meeting her lips in a sweet kiss that he continued as he began to undo his pants and slip them off, kicking them to the side. He ran his hands up her back, pulling her toward him and slipping his hands down over the curve of her ass, squeezing gently.

So far, no begging from either of them. Not that Derek was complaining.

Erica met his kiss happily, arms surrounding his back and keeping him close. Every time he touched her lips it sent electricity down to her toes, and she hoped she was doing the same to him. 

Swallowing her need to beg for him just to take her, she smirked and grinned up at him. “So, you gonna fuck me, or…?”

His smile widened and he turned them around, guiding her back and gently pushing her back onto the mattress. His smile turned into a smirk as he slipped out of his boxers and stepped forward, nudging her legs apart, dropping to his knees and kissing up her thigh.

“Impatient?” he questioned teasingly, pressing his nose against the crotch of her panties and revelling in the smell of her arousal. He ran blunt fingernails along the inside of her thighs, eyes flicking up to look at her.

She jerked at his touch and whimpered softly, pushing her face into the crook of her arm. She was going to break first, wasn’t she? At least, if she did, she wouldn’t really be losing.

Erica gulped and felt her legs shake against his hands and bit her lip harder than she intended. 

“No, alpha,” she said reflexively before her eyes grew large and she glanced at him. 

Derek’s wolf preened at the title and he growled quietly before he could stop himself, eyes meeting hers as he pressed kisses up to her pantyline, slowly pulling them down her legs and following them with his lips. He stopped for a moment once they were off, trying to compose himself after her slip-up. He felt his wolf rage in his chest, begging to be released, to come out and take. To claim what was his.

She was his. His beta. His.

He curled his hands into fists and felt his teeth start to elongate, poking down. He tried to regain control, but knew it was useless. He growled, the sound deep in his chest, a part of him worried Erica would be afraid.

Derek. That was her Derek. 

Her eyes responded to his growl, finding one of her own pushing through. It was a struggle to let it out, but it wouldn’t be stopped. 

She was speaking and she couldn’t control it. “Alpha, alpha, alpha,” she whined, reaching for him with her hands. 

He growled louder and climbed on top of her, slotting himself between her legs and grabbing a hold of her hair. He tugged gently and met her gaze. “Erica.”

He cut her chant off with a kiss, careful with his fangs, trying not to bite despite how much he wanted to. His claws dug into the mattress on either side of her and he muttered against her lips, “Mine.”

She licked a fang while they kissed, as if she had always kissed him like this. Her wolf emphatically told her that she should have always been doing this, and she didn’t disagree. He was claiming her, she realized, and the thought made her wetter. She wasn’t afraid, her wolf wasn’t afraid. Erica felt free.

“Please,” she whispered, eyes solid yellow, “Der…”

Derek’s wolf instinctively wanted to jump at her plea, to do what she wanted and take, give. His wolf wanted what was his. But Derek smirked into the kiss, nipping at her lip and rolling his hips against hers. He listened to her heart stumble in her chest. “Please, what?”

She snarled, annoyed and desperate. “I want you, I’ve wanted you since before I left, Derek--” Erica babbled, trying to get friction between their hips. 

Derek growled, hands going to her hips to stop her. His wolf was frustrated, but Derek fought his instincts. “You didn’t answer my question.”

She grappled against his hold and her eyes flashed at him before she smiled innocently. She slowly began to tilt her head, showing her neck to him. “I want you to fuck me,” she said, eyes starting to water out of frustration. 

Derek smirked, satisfied, and buried his face in her neck. He gently nipped at the exposed skin. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

Ignoring the fact that she was probably either rolling her eyes at him or about to make a sarcastic or sassy remark, Derek moved his hands to her knees and spread them further apart before allowing the tip of his cock to tease her for a moment. He felt his face begin to transform, shifting into his beta form, and he hid his face in her shoulder as he snapped his hips forward, a loud growl ripping at his throat as he sank into her.

In his beta form, his senses felt heightened. He was highly aware of the warmth of her body beneath his, of her hitched breathing and rapid heartbeat, of the sweet and sour smell of her arousal. He dug his claws into the mattress and groaned, waiting to read her cues.

She rocked her hips against his, lost in the feeling of him being inside her. She felt her wolf struggle to get out, to let her transform, but she was afraid. It had been so long, and what if she couldn’t control herself? She watched him hid and clung to the back of his head as she whimpered and cooed, biting his ear gently. “Der, Der,” she said sweetly as he struggled and kissed the side of his face that she could see. “Don’t hold back,” she told him, face earnest. 

He grunted in acknowledgement, taking a deep breath. He gently nipped at her shoulder before moving to kiss her, mindful of his fangs. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. He may be a werewolf, but he wasn’t a monster. The alpha side of him could be unforgiving and dangerous, but not toward Erica. Not toward his beta.

Moving his arms under her knees, he repositioned slightly to spread her hips wider, letting his hips move in rhythm with hers. He met her gaze before letting his eyes fall closed, allowing himself to take in the moment through his other senses. She was being so good for him -- giving him permission to let go, the sound of her heart, breath, and voice spurring him on. She was beautiful. And she was his.

She stared at him, watching him sink into her and relax. A part of her was shocked that he listened to her, the other knew he wasn’t the same man. Every part of her wanted to know him more, wanted this moment to stretch out into time and never end. 

Her teeth ached to drop and she frowned at the pain and twisted the sheets beneath them in her fists. 

Accepting him and her wolf at the same time scared her, but it was so right, falling into her lap, too heavy to run from. 

Erica reached for him and said his name, taking in the slide of his skin against hers. 

Derek opened his eyes and guided her legs to rest on his waist, moving over her and cupping her face in hands. He slid one of his claws gently along her chin, gazing into her yellow eyes. He knew she felt the pull to let go. He could sense her wolf trying to break free. He also could sense her fear and something told him it was less about him being in his beta form than her being this vulnerable -- this exposed and open to her wolf.

Swiping his thumbs along her cheeks, he smiled softly. “You can let go, Erica. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Erica sniffed, feel irrationally angry that she was becoming emotional. She ground her jaw and allowed herself to get swept away in Derek’s gaze. 

Truth, what was it to keep everything inside if it was poisoning you?

“I’m scared and telling you why would ruin the mood,” she admitted, looking away. 

Derek’s thrusts slowed, feeling the weight of her words. He felt bad for pushing her too far too soon. He let his thumbs skate along her cheeks again, moving his head to try to catch her eye. “Hey, that’s okay. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

She chewed her lip and felt her eyes well up. “No, no, I want this, I just--” she sighed and let her head fall against his hand. She let the silence rest between them as she gathered herself, but the tears in her voice remained. “That guy, he um, he found out. About me,” she explained slowly, hands still grasping the sheets like life lines, “it’s the only time he was scared of me.”

He observed her pained expression before his gaze fell down to her hands. He frowned, hands moving toward hers and prying them off the sheets to wrap around them instead. He breathed slowly, face slowly returning to normal as he kissed her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Those two words weren’t enough and he knew it. He felt partially responsible for that though. He’d been the one that’d turned her. After a moment of beating himself up, he shook his head. “You’re not a monster, Erica. You don’t have to be ashamed of what you are.”

“It was survival, getting away from werewolves and everything,” she told him, hands gripping his tightly, “but then I couldn’t stop the human things that happened.” Her mouth stopped hurting and she whacked her head against the pillow. “I just have more baggage now,” she said, just as ashamed as she’d always felt, since before the bite when she figured she’d die young. 

He lifted an eyebrow at her. “You do realize who you’re having sex with, right?”

She wasn’t the only one with baggage to carry. Granted, they both had very different baggage that could hardly be compared to the others.

He nudged his nose against her chin. “But I get what you’re saying.”

She let a stilted laugh escape her and she nipped at his nose in thanks. She settled back against the mattress, bringing him with her. “If you look beautiful as a wolf,” she pondered out loud, screwing up her face in concentration. 

It hurt. The claws crept through her fingernails and inched part her finger tips. She yelped and held her hand close to her chest. She stared at the broken acrylics and laughed again. 

“I didn’t think that through,” she managed to say through her laughter as she ripped her fake nails off. 

Derek snorted, shaking his head at her and watching her rip the nails off. Once off, he grabbed her hands and kissed the fingertips. “No, you didn’t.”

He observed her. All this time, he’d been trying to read her, he’d been trying to understand who she was now in comparison to who she’d been when they’d last seen each other (and when they’d first met). Maybe that’d been a mistake. They’d both changed since then. Maybe he couldn’t judge her based on who she used to be, but on who she’d grown into and who she was now. And now...well, he still had a lot to learn about her.

“If that guy couldn’t see past your wolf, he didn’t deserve you anyway,” Derek offered quietly, knowing it was a cliche line that his sisters probably would have rolled their eyes at. He meant it though. Erica deserved someone who would see past that part of her, who would accept it and love it. She needed someone who would protect her.

“Shut up,” she admonished with a smile, leaning against him again, uncaring about her nakedness. He looked thoughtful so she just watched him and felt the emotions bubble up at his words. 

“Yeah,” she agreed, a tear slipping past her shield. Erica nudged him with her elbow to distract from it and said, “that person that hurt you? They didn’t deserve you either.”

Derek watched the tear slide down her cheek, but pretended not to notice, averting his gaze to his un-clawed hand. He took a moment to think about her words, about all the people that had hurt him in his life and whether she was right about that. Had they not deserved him or had it been the other way around? He sure as hell knew Kate Argent didn’t deserve him. Jennifer Blake probably didn’t either...but the others? Peter? Braeden? (Although that...was slightly different). He wasn’t so sure.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he eventually shrugged, finally rolling to the side to lay beside her. He reached out to her and ran his fingertip along her shoulder, tracing invisible patterns.

She turned onto her side to face him, hair draping over her form. She looked at him critically, trying to decide if she should say what she was thinking or not. Erica held his chin in her palm and scooted towards him. 

“I was in love with you before I left,” she said quietly, looking him in the eye though her cheeks heated up. 

Derek’s eyes widened and he listened carefully to the steady beating of her heart, a little surprised by the confession. He’d been in such an odd place back then, had been so confused and lost, that he hadn’t even realized. He’d barely been able to sort out his own feelings, let alone notice or sense someone else’s. 

Looking back, maybe it should have been obvious, but Derek had always just assumed it was flirtation. Granted, Derek was a little...well, he was an idiot most of the time, according to the majority of the pack (especially Stiles).

He kept his gaze on hers, hand pausing on her arm. “I didn’t know.”

She smiled kindly and said, “I know, I didn’t expect you to.” She knew he could smell her nerves, sense her heart speeding up. 

Erica had only recently learned how to not just say what she meant and hide her feelings, but it felt wrong to do that here. 

To do that with him.

“I think I...could again,” she attempted to explain, dropping her hand from his face. 

His lips twitched and he let them turn up at the edges, just a small and soft smile. He grabbed the hand that had fallen from his face and squeezed. He appreciated her honesty and was glad she felt safe enough to be vulnerable with him. As an alpha, and as someone who cared for her, it meant a lot to have her trust.

Derek wasn’t entirely sure what to say to that. He could say that he thought he could, with time and after getting to know her again, fall in love with her too. And he could see that. He could imagine falling in love with Erica. But saying so out loud...it felt like a promise and he’d learned a long time ago how easily promises were broken.

Pushing some hair from her face, he eased closer and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. He couldn’t make a verbal promise. Too many of those that had been made to him had been broken, but he could be here for her. He could get to know her. He could try to be better -- a better alpha, a better friend, a better person. That much he could do.

Erica nodded as if he’d said something and kissed him back. His lips were gentle and sweet, something she wanted more of. It felt like more than she could have hoped for. 

She yawned and snuggled against his side. “Stay?” she asked, closing her eyes drowsily. 

Derek pulled her closer and settled down next to her, nodding. Turning his head to kiss her forehead, he let his eyes drift closed Although he could faintly make out the scent of whoever had owned the mattress before Erica, her scent was more prominent, overwhelming his senses and drowning out anything else. He listened to her steady heartbeat and calm breathing, letting it comfort him.

He smiled to himself, holding her close. “I’m not going anywhere.”


End file.
